CEM PhD – CANDIDATE SEM GEERTS WINS THE IADC YOUNG PITCH TALK AWARD 2026

The International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) bestowed their Young Pitch Talk Award 2026 to Sem Geerts, from the University of Twente.

IADC bestowed their Young Pitch Talk Award 2026 to Sem Geerts, from the University of Twente. This special award is given to “stimulate the promotion of new ideas and encourage younger men and women in the dredging industry”. The award was granted after the evaluation of the received abstracts and the pitch talk presentations at the CEDA Dredging Days, held from 11-13 May 2026 in Antwerp, Belgium.

Sem Geerts was selected as the Young Pitch Talk Award winner for his presentation on “How do tidal sandbanks in sediment-scarce environments recover from large-scale sand extraction?”

“The jury was of the opinion that the winning pitch covered a highly relevant topic and a very interesting new tidal sandbank model. Sem delivered his pitch in a manner that was both engaging and informative, made us curious to know more about his research," said Arnold de Bruijn, Secretary General of IADC.